Community and Economic Developmenthttp://www.extension.iastate.edu/communities/node/13408/atom/feed2012-09-19T12:36:43-05:00RECAP gets a makeover and a new namehttp://www.extension.iastate.edu/communities/content/recap-gets-makeover-and-new-name2012-09-19T12:36:43-05:002012-09-19T12:36:43-05:00soberbr

ISU’s Regional Economic and Community Analysis Program (RECAP) website has been redesigned to take advantage of recent advances in information technology. The revamped program, now called the Iowa Community Indicators Program (ICIP), is designed to provide users with the data they need with the simplicity they want.

ISU’s Regional Economic and Community Analysis Program (RECAP) website has been redesigned to take advantage of recent advances in information technology. The revamped program, now called the Iowa Community Indicators Program (ICIP), is designed to provide users with the data they need with the simplicity they want.

Despite the new name and website, the underlying function of ICIP has not changed significantly. The program offers data and research on local demographic, social, and economic trends in Iowa. The changes to the site focused primarily on better serving the audience using the data.

“The name change was secondary. The motivation behind [the change] was to refresh the website,” explained Liesl Eathington, ICIP director and former RECAP director. “The whole market for secondary data changes really quickly. Each time we have advances in information technology, it gets in one way easier and easier to find data, but those same technology advances mean there are new ways to present the data.”

Some of the data available at the ICIP website include city and county census profiles, city and county recent and historical retail trade analyses, agricultural land values, and so on. ICIP also has interactive thematic maps geographic patterns of community indicators such as in economic, demographic, and social data. In addition, the site provides links to interactive mapping sites where users can create customized maps.

The program is funded and overseen by multiple ISU academic and Extension and Outreach units including the Department of Economics, the Department of Sociology, ISU Extension and Outreach Community and Economic Development, and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Check out the new website at www.icip.iastate.edu. For additional information and/or suggestions, contact Liesl Eathington through the “Contact Us” tab on the ICIP website.